Echoes of the Forest: Music of the Central African Pygmies (The Musical Expeditions Series/Book and Compact Disc T Disc) [Audio CD]

Louis Sarno (Author), Jean-Pierre Hallet (Author)

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Ellipsis Arts (March 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1559612762
• ISBN-13: 978-1559612760
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,172,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and unsentimental, April 9, 2005

By 

John Braby (Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Echoes of the Forest: Music of the Central African Pygmies (The Musical Expeditions Series/Book and Compact Disc T Disc) (Audio CD)

I've only just discovered this book, and I loved every moment of it. It was surprising to find Louis Sarno criticised for his writing by the previous reviewer. I thought his style was exactly uninflected enough to fit like a glove - being honest about both the Ba-Benjelle and himself. This honesty made the book far better both as an anthropological document, and as an autobiographical one as well.

Interesting too that reviewer could have done without the last 40 pages. The loss of purpose & damage caused to original civilisations by the outside world is unpleasant reading every time we come across it, I know - Norman Lewis' "The Missionaries" for instance (Fundamentalism vs. the Amazon Indians), will give you a lifetime dose - but frankly I prefer it to the Disney versions of the New-Age. It gives strength also to the transformation of the tribe when they move to the forest.

The companion volume to this book is Colin M. Turnbull's equally astonishing "The Forest People", written 30 years earlier about Turnbull's life with the Pygmies, consequently describing their life 30 years less affected by "civilisation".

The honesty of this book makes its musical and magical revelations unquestionable, and it breathes life into the cast of characters of Louis Sarno's extended family. This book ends on an upbeat, as the tribe moves to a new camp closer to the forest, which leaves me waiting for the next instalment ... Louis ? Ah,Africa is the home of soap-opera !

Haven't heard the music yet, but I will soon. Louis Sarno's descriptions have had me running round the net with my credit card in my hand. Buy a dozen for your friends, it's an extraordinary book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Song from the Forest: My Life Among the Ba-Benjelle Pygmies, June 4, 2003

By 

Pamela Mills (Pickerington, Oh United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Echoes of the Forest: Music of the Central African Pygmies (The Musical Expeditions Series/Book and Compact Disc T Disc) (Audio CD)

As a source of information on this group pygmies and their music this book is worth plowing through to almost the end.

While Louis Sarno does not have a captivating style of writing, the book does provide a unique perspective of one man's journey in Central Africa to find the Ba-benjelle pygmies and their music.

The sections on the dances, hunting, bees and duikers, etc. are interesting enough to keep one reading. The section on his love/obsession for Ngbali alternatly leaves you wishing he would succeed,scream exploitation and wondering if he really thought he wasn't being used. It is at this point, one wants to skip the last 40 or so pages.

The bottom line is make the effort to discover his journey and then go buy the music. You will be glad you did.